Adjustable toilet tank flush valve



Mm m, 1%?- w. E. WUSTNER 3,324,482

ADJUSTABLE TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Filed Jan. 11, 6

INVENTOR. WILL IAM E. WUSTIVER ATTORA/[V 3,324,482 ADJUSTABLE TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE William E. Wustner, 421 Sylvania Ave, Glenside, Pa. 19038 Filed Jan. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 519,895 7 Claims. (Cl. 457) This invention relates to adjustable toilet tank flush valves.

In some areas and at some seasons of the year water shortages are serious and even necessitate imposing restrictions on water use.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an adjustable toilet tank flush valve which will permit of great saving of water by control of the discharge from the flush tank.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet tank flush valve which will permit of partial or complete discharge of the flush tank as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet tank flush valve in which a ball valve is employed with an outlet fitting, the ball valve being equipped with simple but effective structure for controlled venting of the interior thereof and controlled water flow thereinto from the toilet tank whereby the buoyancy of the ball valve is varied and faster or slower seating is effected as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush tank valve of the ball valve type having incorporated into the interior of the ball an adjustable valve for controlling the buoyancy of the ball by air discharge and water admission. a manually accessible knob being provided exteriorly of the ball for effecting the adjustment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush valve construction which can be employed with existing installations or which may be utilized for new construction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide simple but effective venting provisions for a ball valve which controls the toilet tank flushing whereby the ball valve tends to fall to a seated position at a rate determined by the venting.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush valve construction with a manually operable control handle which upon slidable movement to one position provides full tank discharge by rendering the venting ineffective or upon slidable movement to another position provides only partial tank discharge as determined by the venting adjustment.

Other objects and advantageous features of the inven tion will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a toilet flush tank having a preferred embodiment of the flush tank valve of the present invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vent control valve removed from the valve ball;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on a larger scale than in FIG. 1 of the valve ball and vent control valve therein;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the valve ball of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

3 ,324,482? Patented June 13, 1967 FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 66 of FIG. 5-

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In my prior application for Letters Patent filed May 25, 1965, Ser. No. 458,565, there is disclosed an adjustable flush tank valve. The present invention relates particularly to simplified and improved adjustable vent control valve mechanism for the ball valve.

The adjustable toilet flush tank valve construction of the present invention preferably includes, for use with a tank fitting, a hollow ball valve for controlling flow past a seat in the fitting. The valve ball, when raised from its seat, tends to float. Provisions are made for adjustably venting the interior of the ball valve so that water from the tank can enter the ball valve and the tendency of the valve ball to float is thus overcome so that it falls to its seat and shuts off further flow from the tank. The venting provisions preferably include an oscillatable normal operating handle slidable to venting or non-venting positions to control an air escape valve at the handle, and controlling the opening at the bottom of the valve ball, an adjustable vent control valve to regulate the entry of water into the valve ball.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a toilet flush tank 10 is shown, having a rear wall 11, a front wall 12, a side wall 13 and a bottom Wall 14.

A fitting 15 of well known type is provided having a threaded section 16 held in place by a nut 17 engaging a washer 18 and having a delivery pipe 19 communicating with the hopper (not shown) of the toilet, below the valve seat 20.

The fitting 15 has an upright overflow pipe 22 of well known type carried thereby and connected below the valve seat 20 for discharge. A guide bracket 23 is adjustably mounted on the pipe 22 in a well known manner.

The tank 10 can have a water supply pipe 25 connected to a water supply valve 26 with a water delivery pipe 27 carried thereby and controlled by a float 28 in a well known manner, with a hush tube 29 extending down into the overflow pipe 22.

The fitting 15, as shown in FIG. 1 has a hollow valve ball 34), of rubber or the like, which seats on the valve seat 20 to prevent delivery of water unless and until the valve ball 30 is raised from the seat 20. The valve ball 30 has an adjustable vent control valve 32 mounted therein, the valve 32 being shown in detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

A valve ball actuator rod 35 extending upwardly from the valve ball 30 and guided by the guide bracket 23, has an abutment 36 for engagement by an eye 37 of a link 33 which is pivotally engaged at its upper end in a lever 40. The lever 40 is mounted on an actuating shaft 41 which. extends through a threaded sleeve 42. The sleeve 42 is held by a nut 43 on the front wall 12 of the tank 10.

The shaft 41 has a manual operating handle 44 thereon accessible at the exterior of the front wall 12. The shaft 41 is horizontally slidable in the sleeve 42 with the lever 4i? serving as a stop for horizontal movement outwardly, the handle 44 having internal shoulders 45. The shoulders 45 limit horizontal movement inwardly and two of which by engagement with a stop pin 46 on the sleeve 42 limit the turning movement of the handle 44 to the desired angle.

An auxiliary knob 47 secured to the handle 44 by a screw 48 can be employed to facilitate the horizontal positioning of the shaft 41.

The sleeve 42 has an inserted collar 49 within which the shaft 41 is freely horizontally slidable.

The shaft 41 has a passageway 50 with terminal ends 51 movable with respect to the collar 49 for permitting air discharge therethrough when the terminal ends 51 are exposed or preventing air discharge when the terminal ends 51 are positionedinside and are shut oil? by the collar 49.

, The shaft 41 has a tubular extension 53, communicating with the passageway 50, on which an air vent flexible pipe 54of synthetic plastic material is secured. The pipe 54 extends to a nipple 55 which extends from a manually operable knob 56and within which an air vent passageway 57 is provided in communication with the interior of the valve ball 30. The nipple 55 has a seating groove 58 within which the flexible wall of the valve ball 30 is seated. The nipple 55 has an extension 59, which advantageously can be threaded or otherwise shaped for engagement of a flexible operating link 60. The link 6%) can be of flexible synthetic plastic tubing.

' The vent control valve 32 is mounted at an opening 61 in the bottom of the valve ball 30 and is seated in a groove 62 in a body portion 63, preferably of synthetic plastic material. The body portion 63 has a water inlet opening 64 which is controlled by a rotatable valve plate 65, of the same material as the body portion 63 in a cylindrical plate receiving opening 66. The are through which the plate 65 extends is preferably slightly less than the arc of the opening 64 so as to avoid complete close ofl of the opening 64 and insure drainage of the valve ball 30 while the same is seated on the seat 20.

A screw 67, which may be of synthetic plastic material is in tight engagement in and serves to carry the plate 65. The screw 67 extends through a journal opening 69 in the body portion 63 and into threaded engagement with the lower end of the link 60. A spacer and baffle plate 70 is preferably interposed between the body portion 63 and the link 60 and is also preferably integral with the body portion 63.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

Assuming that tank is filled with water to a level determined by the float 28, if now is is desired to flush the toilet, the handle 44 is operated for this purpose.

If it is desired to discharge the entire contents of the tank 10 the handle 44 is moved horizontally outwardly so that the radial vent opening 51 is closed by the collar 49.

Upon turning of the handle 44 and the shaft 41 to which it is connected the lever 40 through the link 38 and actuator rod 35 will rise the valve ball 30 from its seat and permit water to be discharged through the fitting in a conventional manner.

The valve ball 30 will be buoyed up in the usual manner and will fall with the falling water level in the tank 10. The valve ball 30 will not be vented and will retain its maximum buoyancy.

If it is desired to discharge only part of the contents of the tank 10 and thereby conserve water, the handle 44 is moved horizontally inwardly (see FIGS. 5 and 6) to position the vent opening 51 clear of the collar 49.

Upon turning of the handle 44, the valve ball 30 is raised from its seat as before. The valve ball will, by reason of the position of the Opening 47, have air discharged from the interior thereof through the air vent passageway 57, the nipple 55, the flexible pipe 54, the passageway and passageway terminals 51.

At the same time, and dependent upon the setting of the valve plate 65 with respect to the opening 64 water will enter the valve ball 30 through the vent control valve 32 and reduce the buoyancy of the valve ball 30. The valve ball 30 will thus move to close position and engage the seat 20 before the entire contents of the tank 10 has been discharged.

The knob56 permits of turning the valve plate 65 for adjustment of the rate of delivery of water into the interior of the valve ball 30;

.4 After the valve ball 30 has been seated on the valve seat 20 any water therein will be drained out through opening 64 so that upon the next actuation of the handle 44 either maximum or limited flushing can be selected and 5 carried out.

Upon the completion of the desired flushing action water will be supplied to the tank 10 through the water supply valve 26 to bring the level in the tank 10 back to that determined by the float 28.

The knob 56 can be manually operated from the outside of the ball 30, and through the flexible link to determine the portion of the opening 64 available for admission of water to the interior of the ball 30.

I claim:

1. A toilet flush valve construction comprising a discharge valve fitting having a seat,

a valve member for engagement with said seat and having a hollow interior portion and an opening in the bottom thereof,

manually operable members for moving said valve member from said seat including an actuating member connected to said valve member; and

means for controlling the buoyancy of said valve member,

said means including an air vent connection to the interior of said valve member, and

members for controlling the delivery of water from the tank into the interior of said valve member,

said last members including a body portion at said bottom opening of said valve member,

said body portion having a water inlet opening communicating with the interior of said valve member,

a rotatably positioned member carried by said housing for controlling, and

an adjusting member for said last member carried by said valve member in offset relation to said actuating member,

and an operating connection between said adjusting member and said rotatably positioned member.

2. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said valve member is a ball, and

said body portion has a groove, and

said valve member has a portion in engagement in said groove.

3. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said rotatably positioned member is a sequential plate.

4. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said valve member is a ball,

said adjusting member is carried by an upper side wall portion of said ball, and

said operating connection is a flexible tube.

5. A toilet tank flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said body portion has a baflle member disposed interiorly of said valve member,

said body portion has a cylindrical receiving opening in the lower portion thereof and said rotatably positioned member is a sequential plate mounted in said receiving opening.

6. A toilet tank flush valve construction as defined in r claim 1 in which said valve member is a ball,

said body portion has a cylindrical receiving opening in the lower portion thereof,

said rotatably positioned member is a sequential plate mounted in said receiving opening,

said adjusting member is carried by an upper side wall of said valve member and includes a manually operable knob, and

said operating connection is a flexible tube connected to said knob.

5 6 7. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim References Cited 1 Whlch UNITED STATES PATENTS said valve member is a ball with a Wall portion,

said adjusting member is carried by an upper wall pOr- 379159 3/1888 Hark.iI1S 4 56 420,327 1/1890 Blessing 461 tron of sand ball, 5 1 8 15 said adjusting member includes a nipple portion and a 614648 11/ 89 D Es,te et I 1,263,584 4/1918 Curtrn 4-57 rotatable manual actuator, 2 869 141 1/1959 Koch et a1 56 said ad usting member has said air vent connection ex- 2:883:675 4/1959 Hartman IL-IILI- tending therethrough,

said operating connection is a flexible tube, and 10 said rotatably positioned member is a plate carried in LAVERNE GEIGER Puma), Examiner said body portion. H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOILET FLUSH VALVE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A DISCHARGE VALVE FITTING HAVING A SEAT, A VALVE MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SEAT AND HAVING A HOLLOW INTERIOR PORTION AND AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEMBERS FOR MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBER FROM SAID SEAT INCLUDING AN ACTUATING MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER; AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE BUOYANCY OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN AIR VENT CONNECTED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, AND MEMBERS FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF WATER FROM THE TANK INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, SAID LAST MEMBERS INCLUDING A BODY PORTION AT SAID BOTTOM OPENING OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A WATER INLET OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, A ROTATABLY POSITIONED MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING FOR CONTROLLING, AND AN ADJUSTING MEMBER FOR SAID LAST MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID VALVE MEMBER IN OFFSET RELATION TO SAID ACTUATING MEMBER, AND AN OPERATING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ADJUSTING MEMBER AND SAID ROTATABLY POSITIONED MEMBER. 